Weekend in Virginia

This past weekend I had the privilege of speaking at the GCMF Fabulous Fruit Bearers Conference in beautiful Fredericksburg Virginia. What a joy it was to gather with lovely ladies from all over that area. We talked about bearing fruit, being fruitful and we even ate some awesome fresh fruit. One of the highlights,for me, this weekend was the time I spent in worship, fellowshipping with my dear friends and seeing many women having their faith and joy renewed. It was exciting to hear the testimonies of what God did all weekend long. i.e. One woman told me that God had been preparing her, for a few weeks, before the conference. Time and time again, during the meetings and fellowship time, the things God had been speaking to her were confirmed. She went on to say that she was going home with a new excitement and resolve to serve God. Another woman said that she had almost given up but now she had a new joy and felt God working in her life. Thanks Pastor Christine and Living Word Fellowship for all your hard work putting on a great time of ministry and fellowship.

Back to Africa - 2009!

Fred is on his way back to Africa with his brother, Robert, and Bill Hoffman. Debby, Marie-Louise and Cathy Hoffman will join them in a few weeks.

As usual we are taking equipment for the Pastors and Bible Schools
9 Video Bibles Schools, 6 DVD players, a computer and 6 refurbished laptops, computer repair parts, 3 all-in-one printers (1 laser, 2 ink-jet), ink cartridges for them and others we have in Africa already, 3 video projectors, a piano keyboard, also clothes and things for the orphanage.

Prayer Requests & Itinerary:
Feb. 4-5 – Fred, Robert and Bill fly to Accra, Ghana.
Feb. 7 – Twelve hour ride North to Tamale.
Feb. 7–11 – Settling our church planters in Tamale.
Feb. 12 – Twelve hour ride back South to Accra.
Feb. 13 – Around Accra.
Feb. 14 – Travel to Cotonou, Benin.
Feb. 15-20 – Churches and Bible School.
Feb. 21-22 – Debby, Marie-Louise and Cathy fly to Accra.
Feb. 21 – Fred, Robert & Bill travel back to Accra, Ghana.
Feb. 22-March 1 – Churches, Bible School, Seminar.
March 1 – Robert flies home to the USA.
March 2 – Travel to Lome, Togo.
March 2-3 – Live teaching at Video Bible School.
March 4-8 – Women’s Seminar and Churches.
March 9-12 – Leaders Seminar - Vogonville, Togo.
March 13-15 – Travel to Parakou, Benin for weekend.
March 16-20 – Cotonou, Benin, Bible School and Church.
March 21 – Travel all day to Natitingou, Benin.
March 22 – Speaking at Churches in Natitingou.
March 23 – Travel to Baribe village, minister and return.
March 24 – Game Park.
March 25 – Travel to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
March 25-30 – National Women’s Conference.
March 31 – Travel to Tamale, Ghana.
April 1-5 – Church Plant – Special Program - Tamale.
April 6 – Twelve hour ride back South to Accra.
April 7 – Accra.
April 8 – Travel West to Takoradi, Ghana.
April 8-12 – Easter program with Pastor Charles.
April 13 – Travel East along coast back to Accra.
April 14 – Last day in Accra.

Prayer Requests:
Pastor Aldous and the Church plant in Tamale, Ghana
Pastor George in Benin and Pastor Dieudonne in Ivory Coast – both had some strokes a few years ago and need to get their health and strength back.
Pray for Fred & Debby and their team, for safety on their extensive travels, good health, and to be a blessing.
Pray for God’s direction for our plans for 2009 and beyond. We have commitments where we have been going but also have invitations to other countries in Africa and invitations for Europe.
Pray for needed finances and we Pray that God will bless you as you give to reach others with the Gospel.

Thank you for praying for us.

Rush to get back to Africa

This is the time of year when everyone is rushing to get ready for school again. Fred is headed back to West Africa with a team on September 7th. He will be accompanied by his brother, Bob Davis, Nephew, Charlie Harrison, and Bill Chapel, who has been with Fred a number of times in the last few years. We would really appreciate it if you would hold them all up in prayer. When they return to the States, they plan to bring the twins home from Benin to Doug & Becky & family.

Pray for Fred and Team in Africa
September:
7th - Fly to Africa
9-13 – Bible School Mali
14 – Churches
16th – Travel to Bla – plan seminar
17th – Travel to Bobo-Dioulasso & Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
18th – Travel to Tamale, Ghana
19th – Scout out / Prayer Tamale
20th – 12 hour bus ride to Accra
21th – Churches in Accra Bill flies home
22-26 – Bible School Accra
28th – Graduation Accra Bible School
29-30 – Lome, Togo – Live at V.B.S.
October:
1st – Go to Cotonou, Benin
2-5 – Parakou, Benin – V.B.S.’s and church – Title to the land?
6-10 – Bible School, Cotonou, Benin
12th – Churches
13th – Orphanage
14th – Fly with the twins to America
Prayer:
All the traveling – Planes, Cars, & Buses
Health for all for the whole trip
Divine trimming and connections
Finances for this trip and old debt
To receive the Title for the land in Parakou to build an Orphanage and more
For all the papers for the Twins to come with us to their new family and home in the USA

Video Bible School Report

Pastor Aldous from Accra, Ghana, wrote, “Happy to hear of your coming and also for the graduation which I and my other colleagues are eagerly awaiting. I'm learning and enjoying the {Video} Bible school very very well. As a matter of fact, this Bible School is the best thing to have ever happened to me in ministry and I will like to specially thank you, Pastor Geoff {Bretches – Church at the Crossroads in New Hampshire} and everybody that contributed to making this worthy investment in us.”
That’s a special “Thank You” to you, our supporters!

Fred’s brother, Robert, has helped us for many years and duplicating the DVD Video Bible Schools is one way he has helped. He recently purchased this high-speed machine to help make them. He is now with us more full-time basis.

The Ups and the Downs in Benin

Debby went back to Benin the end of June with a team of 4, Becky Flitcroft, Becky Ingole, Emily Ingole and Marilee White. Their purpose was 3 fold, to visit churches, check on the orphanage, and to bring back the twins that are being adopted by Debby’s cousin Becky Flitcroft and her husband, Doug. The trip was difficult from the very beginning. Becky Flitcroft lost some of her luggage on the flights over and Debby became sick with bronchitis on the first day. Then they were unable to get necessary paperwork done because the courts went on strike in Benin. Each time when it seemed like they’d get their papers and the twins could fly, it wouldn’t happen. Finally they had to come back to the States without the twins. They were able to speak at several churches, do a women’s seminar and traveled up to Parakou, and back, where they held 3 nights of meetings with Pastor Augustin.

We appreciate all of your prayers for that trip. The strike that prevented them from bringing the girls back is still in progress. They were assured that as soon as the strike is over the girls will be given the proper documents. We are hopeful that Fred and his team will be able to bring them to the States in October. At this time the unofficial word is that the strike may end any day or it may go on into October. Please pray with us that it will end soon and the girls will get all their papers.

Thank You!!!!!!

We want to thank our supporters for all that you do. We want to thank our prayer partners for your faithful prayers for us and our ministry. Below is thanks coming to you from 4 of our African friends that you are helping to sustain.

Pulcheire from the orphanage in Benin wrote to say:
Greetings from Benin. How are you?
We received the 1.100.56 USD sent for the orphanage.
Thank you very much for that you are doing for orphanage.
Thank you for sending the support.
We hereby thank all the donors may Lord bless them all.
WE LOVE YOU


Dieudonne from Abidjan, Ivory Coast wrote to say:
DEAR FRED
I am sending you greetings from Abidjan.
I really appreciate what you are doing.
I thank you very much for the money.
May the LORD continue to keep and protect you in the NAME of JESUS.
Extend my greetings to Mummy Debby.
I love you all. By Blessed.
(Note: You may remember, he was an interpreter for us in Abidjan at the Bible School and has had 2 strokes and can barely stand, use his arms or be understood when he talks – pray for his healing.)

Augustin in Benin wrote to say:
Hello Dad,

I was so excited to hear from you. I always give thanks to the Lord for having you as the right mentor I needed. I am proud of you and Mama. Thank you for all you have done for us, the church, Parakou and Benin.
(Note: We took him some equipment – like the new printer you see in the picture and we always preach at his church and do conferences with him.)

Albert and Aldous from the Video Bible School in Accra, Ghana wrote to say:
Albert - Pastor Fred - The first week of the Video Bible School has been very encouraging and inspiring. The attendance of majority of the students was excellent and they all took their home studies very seriously. Their understanding level has also not been bad at all. In a nut shell I will say week one of the VBS has been wonderful though there may be one or two minor lapses which we dealt with without any difficulty. The only unexpected problem we encountered was on friday with the TV. In the course of the afternoon session, the lights (power) was constantly going off and on and so in the process affected the TV. So we've taken it to the repairer and he working on it so we don’t yet know the cost but he promised it will be ready before Sunday.
THANK YOU.
(Note: The TV has been repaired and the school has continued.)
Aldous - Pastor Fred - I'm happy you're ok with the bible school so far and we're believing God that things will move on smoothly till we graduate. I'm also happy you're doing fine back there in the states. My regards to Debby and Mary Louis. Thank you and hope to hear from you. STAY BLESSED


So, Debby and I wanted to say a special, “Thank you.” We could not begin to do all we do with out you! Also we wanted you to be able to read some of the, “Thank you” emails that we receive, that really are for you.

What does VBS Mean to You?

VBS to many American churches means Vacation Bible School = a 1 or 2 week church event in the summer for teaching the Bible to children. But for us VBS means Video Bible School = recorded teaching for use in other countries. Not every Christian Worker in the world has the possibility of attending a real, live, Bible School. It is reported that less than 10% of the estimated 2 million church leaders in the developing nations have had any formal ministry training! The workers need training. VBS is, “the Bible School that comes to you.” Any church can have it’s own Bible School when it has these DVD’s. And we want to make these teachings available in the languages of tribal people that perhaps don’t read or write any major world language, like English or French, because they are the ones to take the gospel into the unreached villages.

The VBS at the church in Accra, Ghana was suppose to start a few years ago, but it just never got going. Pastor Geoff Bretches and I have been teaching there and wanted to see this Video Bible School get going. After I taught there the first of April, we dedicated the VBS. After I traveled on, they continued the school with the videos. At this point this school in Accra, Ghana has been going for a month, and we have received a good report of how they are doing.

Here is a picture of me teaching them how to print, copy and assemble the booklets that accompany the videos. I had to buy that printer there in Ghana for them and it is a used, refurbished notebook computer that my brother Bob Davis supplied for them. In many cases we supply computers and printers as well as DVD players to accompany the video discs.

Please pray for this VBS in Ghana and the others. We have just sent the 8th set of discs to Ivory Coast. We have placed 17 in Benin, 3 in Senegal, 2 in Togo, 3 in Mali and 1 in Burkina Faso. We have sent 1 to Nigeria, 1 to Central Africa Republic and 3 to Congo. Visit our website dedicated to the Video Bible School at http://spiritandwordvbs.com/ or go to our regular website http://www.davismission.com/ and click on the Spirit and Word Video Bible School button under our picture.

One of the Sundays we were in Accra, I (Fred) preached about forgiveness and reconciliation and I shared a story from my own life. At the end of the service I prayed for those who responded to the message. Tuesday after that, when I was teaching Bible School, Pastor Aldous, (he is the first person on the left in the above picture) who interprets English into Ga for the students who don’t hear American English very well, didn’t make it to class. He showed up as we ended the class - 3 ½ hours late. As I took him aside and began to speak to him, he shared why he was late. Early that morning his dad called him and his brother and asked them to come immediately to meet him. (Of course when a person suddenly calls all the children around, this usually means the person is about to die and you have to go right then.) Aldous went on to share with me that his father was not dying, but wanted to ask forgiveness and make reconciliation with his sons. This was an incredible miracle and an answer to the prayer I prayed for Aldous and the others on Sunday morning. Praise the Lord!

Thank you for your prayers and support for this tremendous ministry.